THE 
DAMSEL 

AND  TJiE 

SAGE 


California 

egional 

icility 


ELINOR 
GLYN 


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OF 

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OF  CALIFORNIA 

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THE  DAMSEL 

AND 

THE    SAGE 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2007  with  funding  from 
'  Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/damselsagewomansOOglyniala 


THE     DAMSEL     AND 
THE    SAGE 

A     WOMAN'S     WHIMSIES 


BY 

ELINOR  GLYN 

A  uthor  of 

'The  Visits  of  Elizabeth,"  "The  Vicissitudes  of  Evangeline,' 
"  The  Reflections  of  Ambrosine,"  "  Beyond  the 
Rocks,"  "Three  Weeks,"  "The  Say- 
ings cf  Grandmamma." 


NEW    YORK 

DUFFIELD  &  COMPANY 

1908 


Copyright,  1903,  by  Elinor  Glyn. 
All  rights  reserved. 


College 
library 


TO 
THE   SUN'S   RAYS 


1115914 


A  tree  stood  alone  surrounded  by  high 
and  low  hills*  It  could  be  observed  from 
all  sides,  and  it  appeared  different  from  each 
elevation* 

The  tree  was  the  same,  only  the  point 
of  7>iew  differed* 

Everything  depends  upon  the  point  of  Jnew* 


44 And  as  to  the  meaning,  it's  what  you 
please."  C.  S.  C* 


THE  DAMSEL  AND 
THE  SAGE 

?ND  the  Damsel  said  to  the 
Sage: 

"Now,  what  is  life?    And 
why  does  the  f ruit  taste  bit- 
ter in  the  mouth?" 

And  the  Sage  answered,  as  he  stepped 
from  his  cave: 

"My  child,  there  was  once  a  man  who 
had  two  ears  like  other  people*  They 
were  naturally  necessary  for  his  enjoy- 
ment of  the  day*  Bat  one  of  these  ears 
offended  his  head*  It  behaved  with  stu- 
pidity, thinking  thereby  to  enhance  its 
value  to  him  —  it  heard  too  much.    Oh, 

\ 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

it  conducted  itself  with  a  gross  stupidity. 
'Oat  upon  you,'  cried  the  man;  'since  you 
have  overstepped  the  limit  of  the  func- 
tions of  an  ear,  I  shall  cut  you  from  my 
head!'  And  so,  without  hesitation,  he  took 
a  sword  and  accomplished  the  deed*  The 
poor  ear  then  lay  upon  the  ground  bleed- 
ing, and  the  man  went  about  with  a  muti- 
lated head." 

"And  what  was  the  good  of  all  that?" 
said  the  Damsel* 

"There  was  no  good  in  it,"  replied  the 
Sage.  "But  he  was  a  man,  and  he  had 
punished  the  too  -  fond  -  and  -  foolish  ear 
— also  he  hoped  a  new  and  more  suitable 
one  would  grow  in  its  place.  *  Change/ 
he  said,  'was  a  thing  to  be  welcomed/  " 

"And  tell  me,  Sage,  what  became  of  the 
ear?"  asked  the  Damsel. 

2 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

"The,  ear  fared  better.  Another  man 
of  greater  shrewdness  came  along,  and, 
although  he  had  two  ears  of  his  own,  he 
said,  'A  third  will  not  come  amiss/  and 
he  picked  up  the  ear  and  heard  with  three 
ears  instead  of  two.  So  he  became  know- 
ing and  clever  because  of  the  informa- 
tion he  acquired  in  this  way.  The  grafted 
ear  grew  and  flourished,  and,  in  spite  of 
its  remaining  abnormal,  it  obtained  a  cer- 
tain enjoyment  out  of  existence*" 

"But  who  really  benefited  by  all  this?" 
inquired  the  Damsel. 

"No  one,"  said  the  Sage;  "the  first 
man  went  about  with  only  one  ear;  the 
second  man  made  himself  remarkable  with 
three  —  and  the  cut  -  off  ear,  although 
alive  and  successful,  felt  itself  an  excres- 


cence." 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

"Then  what  could  be  the  pleasure  of  it 
all?"  demanded  the  Damsel. 

4'0ut  upon  you!"  exclaimed  the  Sage, 
in  a  passion.  "You  asked  me  what  was 
life  —  and  why  the  fruit  tasted  bitter  in 
the  mouth?    I  have  answered  you." 

And  he  went  back  into  his  cave  and 
barred  the  door. 

The  Damsel  sat  down  upon  a  stone  out- 
side. 

"It  seems  to  me  that  men  are  fools," 
she  said,  and  she  clapped  her  hands  to 
her  two  ears.  "When  I  am  angry  and 
offended  with  one  of  you,  I  will  cut  the 
ear  from  off  the  head  of  some  one  else." 

And  she  picked  up  an  apple  and  ate  it. 
And  it  tasted  sweet. 


A  man  'will  often  fling  away  a  woman 
who  has  wronged  him  although  in  doing  so 
he  is  deeply  hurting  himself*  A  woman  will 
forgive  a  man  who  has  wronged  her  because 
her  own  personal  pleasure  in  him  is  greater 
than  her  outraged  pride*  Hence  'women  are 
more  unconscious  philosophers  than  men* 


'HE  Damsel  returned  again 
to  the  cave  of  the  Sage. 
There  were  other  questions 
she  wished  to  ask  about  life* 
The  door  was  hard  to  push  ajar,  but  at 
last  she  obtained  entrance* 

"What  do  you  want  now?"  he  demand- 
ed, with  a  voice  of  grumbling*  "Were 
you  not  content  with  my  last  utterances?" 
"Yes — and  no,"  said  the  Damsel*  "I 
came  to  quite  other  conclusions  myself* 
I  would  have  kept  the  ear  on  my  head, 
since  cutting  one  off,  however  it  had 
angered  me,  would  have  upset  my  own 
comfort." 

7 


'The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

"We  have  finished  with  that  matter 
now,"  said  the  Sage,  showing  signs  of 
impatience — he  was  still  a  man.  "What 
next?" 

"I  want  to  know,"  said  the  Damsel, 
"why  a  woman  who  has  Diamonds  and 
Pearls  and  Emeralds  and  Rabies  in  her 
possession  should  set  such  store  upon  a 
Topaz — a  yellow  Topaz — the  color  she  dis- 
likes— and  a  Topaz  of  uneven  temper  and 
peculiar  properties.  She  never  wears  this 
stone  that  it  does  not  bruise  her,  now  her 
neck,  now  her  arm.  It  is  restless  and 
slips  from  its  chain.  It  will  not  remain 
in  the  case  with  the  other  jewels.  And 
at  last  she  has  lost  it — she  fears  for  good 
and  all.  And  so  now  all  the  other  stones, 
which  seemed  very  well  in  their  way,  have 
grown  of  even  less  value  in  her  eyes,  and 

8 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

she  can  only  lament  the  loss  of  her  Topaz. 
'I  am  brilliant/  cries  the  Diamond.  'I 
set  off  your  eyes,  and  I  love  you.'  'I 
am  soft  and  caressing/  whispers  the  Pearl. 
'I  lie  close  to  your  white  skin  and  keep  it 
coolt  and  I  love  you/  *I  am  witty/  laughs 
the  Emerald.  'I  make  your  thoughts 
flash,  and  I  love  you/  'I  am  the  color 
of  blood,  and  I  would  die  for  you/  chants 
the  Ruby,  'and  I  love  you/  And  all 
these  things  the  stones  say  all  the  day  to 
her,  and  yet  the  woman  only  listens  with 
half  an  ear,  and  their  words  have  no  effect 
upon  her  because  of  the  charm  of  this 
tiresome  Topaz.  What  does  it  all  mean, 
Sage?" 

"It  means,  first  of  all,"  said  the  Sage, 
"that  the  woman  is  a  fool,  as  what  is  the 
value   of  a  Topaz  in   comparison  with  a 
<       9 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

Diamond  or  a  Ruby?  It  means,  secondly, 
that  the  Topaz  is  a  greater  fool,  because 
it  would  be  more  agreeable  surely  to  lie 
close  to  the  woman's  soft  neck  than  to 
be  picked  up  by  any  stranger  or  lie 
neglected  in  the  dust*  But,  above  and 
beyond  everything,  it  means  that  cher- 
ries are  ripest  when  out  of  reach,  and 
that  the  whole  world  is  full  of  fools  of 
either  opinion,  who  do  not  know  when 
they  are  well  off." 

Upon  which  the  Sage,  with  his  usual 
lack  of  manners,  retired  into  his  cave  and 
slammed  his  door* 

The  Damsel  sat  down  upon  the  rock 
and  came  again  to  her  own  conclusions* 
The  stone  that  apparently  was  a  Topaz 
was  in  reality  a  yellow  Diamond  of  great 
rarity  and  worth,  and  that  was  why  the 

10 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

woman  valued  it  so  highly*  Her  instincts 
were  stronger  than  her  reason*  But  if 
she  had  not  made  herself  so  cheap  by 
adoring  the  stone,  it  would  not  have  be- 
come restless  and  she  would  not  have  lost 
it*  Even  stones  cannot  stand  too  much 
honey*  If  ever  the  woman  should  find 
this  yellow  Diamond  again  she  must  be 
told  to  keep  it  in  a  cool  box  and  not 
caress  it  or  place  it  above  the  others. 

The  Damsel  thought  aloud  and  the  Sage 
heard  her — he  strode  forth  in  a  rage* 

"Why  do  you  come  here  demanding 
my  advice  if  you  moralize  yourself?  Out 
upon  you  again V*  he  thundered*  "The 
woman  will  not  find  her  Topaz,  which 
is  now  revelling  in  the  sun  of  freedom 
and  will  soon  go  down  into  nothingness 
and   be   forgotten.    And   after   lamenting 

U 


*The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

until  her  eyes  look  gaunt,  the  woman  will 
begin  to  see  some  beauty  in  a  Sapphire  and 
become  consoled,  and  so  all  will  be  well." 

"I  do  not  care  what  you  say,"  said  the 
Damsel.  "It  is  better  to  have  what  one 
wants  one's  self  than  to  try  and  learn  to  like 
anything  else  that  other  people  think  better. ' ' 

And  she  ref astened  a  bracelet  with  great 
care — which  contained  two  cat's-eyes  of  no 
value — as  she  went  on  her  way. 


EIZE  the  occasion  lest  it 
pass  thee  by  and  fall  into 
the  lap  of  another. 


No  man  likes  shooting  tame  rabbits* 


Most  men  like  the  hunt  more  than  the 
quarry  —  therefore  the  wise  woman  is 
elusive* 


J3 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 


T  is  a  good  hostess  who 
never  inclines  her  guests  un- 
consciously to  look  at  the 
clock. 


Some  things  cause  pride,  some  pleasure* 
There  is  only  one  thing  which  causes  in- 
finite bliss  and  oblivion  of  time,  and  this 
one  thing,  unless  bound  with  chains,  is 
called  immoral. 


U 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 


HT  is  a  wise  man  who  knows 
when  he  is  happy  and  can 
appreciate  the  divine  bliss 
of  the  tangible  now*    Most 

of  us  retrospect  or  anticipate  and  so  lose 

the  present* 


Seize  Love  at  whatever  age  he  comes 
to  you — if  you  can  avoid  being  ridiculous. 


J5 


jORE  questions  ?"  exclaimed 
the  Sage,  as  the  Damsel  tap- 
ped gently  upon  the  door  of 
his  cave* 
Women  are  never  satisfied;  they  are  as 
restless  as  the  sea,  and  when  they  have 
received  all  the  best  advice  they  invariably 
follow  their  own  inclinations/' 

"It  was  not  to  discuss  women/'  replied 
the  Damsel,  timidly;  "this  time  it  is  of  a 
man  I  wish  to  ask/' 

"Begin,  then,  and  have  done  quickly/' 
growled  the  Sage,  averting  his  head.  The 
Damsel  had  an  outline  against  the  sky 
which  caused  ideas  not  tranquillizing  for 
Hermits. 

J7 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

"I  wish  to  know  why  a  man  who  pos- 
sessed the  most  beautiful  and  noble  Bird 
of  Paradise — a  bird  of  rare  plumage  and 
wonderful  qualities — should  suddenly  see 
more  beauty  in  an  ordinary  Cockatoo, 
whose  only  attraction  was  its  yellow  feath- 
ers—  a  Cockatoo  that  screamed  monot- 
onously as  it  swung  backward  and  for- 
ward on  its  perch,  and  would  eat  sugar 
out  of  the  hand  of  any  stranger  while  it 
cried  *  Pretty  Poll/  The  man  could  not 
afford  to  buy  this  creature  also,  so  he 
deliberately  sold  his  exquisite  Bird  of 
Paradise  to  a  person  called  Circumstance 
and  with  the  money  became  the  possessor 
of  the  Cockatoo,  who  pierced  the  drums 
of  his  ears  with  its  eternal  *  Pretty  Poll' 
and  wearied  his  sight  with  its  yellow  feath- 
ers.    Why  did  the  man  do  this?" 

18 


The   Damsel  and  the  Sage 

The  Sage  laughed  at  so  simple  a  ques- 
tion* 

"Because  he  was  a  man,  and  even  a 
screaming  Cockatoo  belonging  to  some  one 
else  has  more  charm  at  times  than  the 
most  divine  Bird  of  Paradise  belonging  to 
himself/' 

"But  was  it  worth  while  to  sell  this  rare 
thing  for  a  very  ordinary  one?"  demanded 
the  Damsel* 

"Certainly  not/'  said  the  Sage,  im- 
patiently. "What  childish  questions  you 
ask!  The  thing  was  a  folly  on  the  face 
of  it;  but,  as  I  said  before,  he  was  a  man 
— and  the  Cockatoo  belonged  to  some  one 
else!" 

"Then  what  will  happen  now?"  asked 
the  Damsel,  placing  herself  in  the  direc- 
tion in  which  the  Sage  had  turned  his  head* 

19 


The  Damsel  and  the   Sage 

"The  Bird  of  Paradise  will  still  be  the 
most  beautiful  and  glorious  and  desir- 
able bird  in  the  world;  and  when  the 
man  realizes  he  has  lost  it  forever  he  will 
begin  to  value  its  every  feather,  and  will 
spend  his  days  in  comparing  all  its  re- 
membered perfections  and  advantages  with 
the  screams  and  the  yellow  feathers  of  the 
Cockatoo/' 

"And  what  will  the  Cockatoo  do?"  in- 
quired the  Damsel. 

"It  will  probably  continue  to  shriek 
'Pretty  Poll,'  and  eat  sugar  out  of  the 
hand  of  any  stranger/'  replied  the  Sage, 
plucking  his  beard* 

"And  the  man?" 

"The  man  will  go  on  telling  every  one 
he  has  bought  the  most  divine  bird  in 
the  world,  in  the  hope  that  some  one  will 

20 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

offer  him  a  large  sum  of  money  for  it. 
The  only  person  who  gains  in  the  affair 
is  the  Bird  of  Paradise,  who,  instead  of 
being  caged  as  when  in  the  possession  of 
the  man,  is  absolutely  free  to  fly  with  its 
new  master,  Circumstance,  who  only  seeks 
to  please  and  soothe  this  glorious  bird  and 
make  life  fair  for  it*" 

"But  what  will  be  the  very  end?"  per- 
sisted the  DamseL 

The  Sage  turned  and  looked  full  at  her* 
He  was  angry  with  her  importunity  and 
would  have  answered  sternly. 

Then  he  saw  that  the  ripples  of  her  hair 
were  golden  and  his  voice  softened* 

"That  will  depend  —  upon  Circum- 
stance," he  replied,  and  he  closed  his  door 
softly  in  her  face. 


A  man  wishes  and  a  woman  wishes,  but 
Circumstance  frequently  wins  the  game* 


IFE  is  short — avoid  causing 
yawns. 


It  is  possible  for  a  woman  to  retain  the 
amorous  affection  of  a  man  for  many  years 
— if  he  only  sees  her  for  the  two  best  hours 
out  of  each  twenty-f  our. 


25 


^LEASE  open  the  door,  Sage/' 
entreated  the  Damsel,  "and 
I  will  tell  you  a  story/' 
The   Sage   pushed   it   ajar 
with  his  foot,  but  he  did  not  come  out. 

"There  was  once  upon  a  time  a  man/' 
she  said,  "who  unexpectedly  and  for  no 
apparent  reason  became  the  possessor  of 
a  Tiger*  It  had  been  coveted  by  num- 
bers of  people  and  was  of  a  certain  value 
and  beauty*  It  had  an  infinite  variety  of 
tricks*  It  was  learned  in  caresses*  It  was 
fierce,  and  gentle,  and  it  could  love  pas- 
sionately. Altogether  a  large  price  would 
have  been  offered  the  man  for  it  by  many 
others  if  he  had  wished  to  sell  it*     In  the 

27 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

beginning  he  had  greatly  valued  the  posses- 
sion of  this  strange  beast,  and  had  fed  it 
with  his  own  hand*  The  little  anxiety  as 
to  whether  it  would  eat  him  or  not,  or 
rush  away,  had  kept  him  interested.  But 
gradually,  as  he  became  certain  the  Tiger 
adored  him,  and  would  show  none  but 
velvet  claws  and  make  only  purring  sounds, 
his  keenness  waned.  He  still  loved  it,  but 
certainty  is  monotonous,  and  his  eyes  wan- 
dered to  other  objects.  'The  Tiger  is  noth- 
ing but  a  domestic  cat,'  he  said;  'I  will  pet 
and  caress  it  when  the  mood  takes  me,  and 
for  the  rest  of  the  time  it  can  purr  to  itself 
by  the  fire/  At  last  one  day,  after  the 
Tiger  was  especially  gracious  and  had 
purred  with  all  essence  of  love,  the  man 
yawned.  'It  is  really  a  charming  beast/ 
he  said,  'but  it  is  always  the  same;   and 

28 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

then  he  went  away  and  forgot  even  to  feed 
it.  The  Tiger  felt  hungry  and  restless*  Its 
quietness  and  gentleness  became  less  ap- 
parent* The  man  on  his  travels  chanced 
to  think  of  it  and  sent  it  a  biscuit*  So  the 
Tiger  waited,  and  when  the  man  returned 
and  expected  the  usual  docile  caresses,  it 
bit  his  hand*  'Vile  beast!'  said  the  man* 
4  Have  I  not  fed  and  kept  you  for  weeks, 
and  now  you  bite  my  hand!'  Now  tell 
me,  Sage,  which  was  right — the  man  or  the 
Tiger?" 

"Both,  and  neither,"  said  the  Sage,  de- 
cidedly* "The  man  was  only  obeying  the 
eternal  law  in  finding  what  he  was  sure  of 
monotonous;  but  he  mistook  the  nature 
of  the  beast  he  had  to  deal  with*  Tigers 
are  not  of  the  species  that  can  ever  be 
really  monotonous,  if  he  had  known*    The 

29 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

Tiger  was  foolish  to  allow  its  true  nature 
to  be  so  disguised  by  its  love  for  the 
man  that  he  was  deceived  into  looking 
upon  it  as  a  domestic  cat*  It  thought 
to  please  him  thereby  and  so  lost  its 
hold/' 

"And  what  will  be  the  end?"  asked  the 
Damsel. 

"The  man's  hand  will  smart  to  the  end 
of  his  life,  and  he  will  never  secure  another 
Tiger.  And  the  Tiger  will  go  elsewhere  and 
console  itself  by  letting  its  natural  instincts 
have  full  play.  It  will  not  be  foolish  a 
second  time." 

But  the  Damsel's  conclusion  was  dif- 
ferent. 

"No/'  she  said.  "The  man's  hand  will 
heal  up,  and  the  Tiger  will  caress  him  aYid 
make  him  forget  the  bite,  and  they  will  love 

30 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

each  other  to  eternity  because  they  have 
both  realized  their  own  stupidity*" 

And  without  speaking  further  she  allow- 
ed the  Sage  to  close  the  door. 


It  is  <wiser  to  know  the  species  one  is 
playing  with:  do  not  offer  Tigers  hay — or 
Antelopes  joints  of  meat* 


jf^f%f EXT  day,  in  a  pouring  shower 
of  rain,  the  Damsel  knocked 
at  the  Sage's  door.     It  was 
for  shelter,  she  said,  this  time, 
until  the  storm  should  pass. 

The  Sage  was  fairly  gracious,  and  to 
while  away  the  time  the  Damsel  began 
a  story. 

"A  man  once  owned  a  brown  Sparrow. 
It  had  no  attractions,  and  it  made  a  con- 
tinuous and  wearying  noise  as  it  chat- 
tered under  the  eaves.  It  did  the  same 
thing  every  day,  and  had  monotonous  do- 
mestic habits  that  often  greatly  irritated 
the  man,  but — he  was  accustomed  to  it, 
and  did  not  complain.    After  several  years 

35 


T/ze  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

a  travelling  Showman  came  along;  he  had 
a  large  aviary  of  birds  of  all  sorts,  some  for 
sale,  some  not.  Among  them  was  a  glori- 
ous Hamming  Bird  of  wonderful  brilliancy 
and  plumage,  a  creature  full  of  beauty 
and  grace  and  charm  and  elegance.  The 
man  became  passionately  attached  to  it; 
he  was  ready  to  perpetrate  any  folly  for 
the  sake  of  obtaining  possession  of  it,  and 
indeed  he  did  commit  numbers  of  regret- 
table actions,  and  at  last  stole  the  bird 
from  the  Showman  and  carried  it  away. 
Then,  in  a  foreign  palace,  for  a  short  while 
he  revelled  in  its  beauty  and  the  joy  of 
owning  it.  The  Humming  Bird  did  its 
best  to  be  continually  charming,  but  it 
felt  its  false  position.  And  the  worry  and 
annoyance  of  concealing  the  theft  from 
the  Showman,  and  the  different  food  the 

36 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

Humming  Bird  required,  and  the  care  that 
had  to  be  taken  of  it,  at  last  began  to 
weary  the  man*  He  chafed  and  was  often 
disagreeable  to  it,  although  he  realized  its 
glory  and  beauty  and  the  feather  it  was 
in  his  cap*  Finally,  one  day,  in  a  fit  of 
desperation,  the  man  let  the  Humming 
Bird  fly,  and  crept  back  home  to  the  home- 
ly brown  Sparrow,  with  its  irritating  noises 
and  utter  want  of  beauty.  Why  was  this, 
Sage?" 

The  Sage  had  not  to  think  long. 

"Custom,  my  child/'  he  said.  "Cus- 
tom forges  stronger  chains  than  the  finest 
plumage  of  a  Humming  Bird.  The  man 
had  to  put  himself  out  and  exert  himself 
to  retain  the  Humming  Bird  in  a  way  that 
was  not  agreeable  to  his  self-love,  whereas 
the  brown  Sparrow  lived  on  always  the 

37 


T/ie  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

same,  causing  him  no  trouble,  and  custom 
had  deadened  the  sense  of  its  want  of 
charm/' 

"Then  it  seems  to  me  it  was  rather  hard 
upon  the  poor  Humming  Bird!"  said  the 
Damsel. 

"It  is  always  hard  upon  the  Humming 
Birds,"  replied  the  Sage,  and  his  voice  was 
quite  sad. 

The  rain  did  not  cease  for  a  long  time. 
It  was  more  than  an  hour  before  the 
Damsel  left  the  cave. 


If  you  are  a  Humming  Bird  it  is  wiser  for 
you  to  remain  in  the  possession  of  the  Trav- 
elling Showman, 


LONG  period  elapsed  after 
this  before  the  Damsel  again 
tapped  at  the  Sage's  door* 
He  looked  out  morning  and 
evening,  and  attributed  his  lack  of  en- 
thusiasm for  his  devotions  to  an  attack 
of  rheumatism  from  the  damp  of  his  cave* 
At  last,  one  morning  he  spied  her  saunter- 
ing slowly  up  the  hill,  and  he  retired  into 
the  back  of  his  cell*  and  the  Damsel  had 
to  knock  twice  before  he  opened  the  win- 
dow shutter*  She  was  in  a  gay  mood, 
and  demanded  a  story,  so  the  Sage  began: 
"There  was  once  upon  a  time  a  Fish 
with  glittering  scales  who  swam  about  in 
a  deep  river.     It  had  been  tempted  by  the 

41 


TTie  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

flics  of  many  Fishermen,  but  had  laughed 
at  them  all  and  swam  away,  just  under 
the  surface  of  the  "water,  so  that  the  sun 
might  shine  on  its  glittering  scales  to  please 
the  eyes  of  the  Fishermen  and  to  excite 
their  desire  to  secure  it.  It  was  a  Fish 
who  laughed  a  good  deal  at  life.  But  one 
fine  day  a  new  Angler  came  along;  he  was 
young  and  beautiful,  and  seemed  lazy  and 
happy,  and  not  particularly  anxious  to 
throw  the  line.  The  Fish  peeped  at  him 
from  the  sheltering  shadow  of  a  rock. 
'This  is  the  most  perfect  specimen  of  a 
Fisherman  I  have  ever  seen/  it  said  to  it- 
self. 'I  could  almost  believe  it  would  be 
agreeable  to  swallow  the  fly  and  let  him 
land  me  and  put  me  in  his  basket.'  The 
young  Fisherman  threw  the  line,  and  the 
sun  caught  the  glittering  scales  of  the  Fish 

42 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

at  that  moment.  The  laziness  vanished 
from  the  Fisherman,  and  he  began  to  have 
a  strong  desire  to  secure  the  Fish. 

"He  fished  for  some  time,  and  the  Fish 
swam  backward  and  forward,  making  up 
its  mind.  It  saw  the  hook  under  the  fly, 
but  the  attraction  of  the  Angler  growing 
stronger  and  stronger,  at  last  it  deliberately 
decided  to  come  up  and  bite.  'I  know 
all  the  emotions  of  swimming  on  the  sur- 
face and  letting  my  scales  shine  in  the 
sun/  it  mused,  'but  I  know  nothing  about 
the  bank  and  the  basket,  and  perhaps  the 
tales  that  are  drilled  into  the  heads  of  us 
Fish  from  infancy  about  suffocation  and 
exhaustion  are  not  true/  And  it  mused 
again:  *He  is  a  perfectly  beautiful  Fish- 
erman and  looks  kind,  and  I  want  to  be 
closer  to  him  and  let  him  touch  my  glitter- 

43 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

ing  scales.  After  all,  one  ought  to  know 
everything  before  one  dies/ 

"So,  its  heart  beating  and  its  eyes  melt- 
ing, the  Fish  deliberately  rose  to  the  sur- 
face and  swallowed  the  fly.  The  hook 
caught  in  a  gristly  place  and  did  not  hurt 
much,  and  the  novel  experience  of  being 
pulled  onto  the  green  meadow  delighted 
the  Fish.  It  saw  the  Fisherman  close,  and 
felt  his  hands  as  he  tenderly  disengaged 
the  hook.  He  was  full  of  joy  and  pride 
at  securing  the  difficult  Fish  and  admired 
its  scales.  He  talked  aloud  and  told  it 
how  bright  he  found  it,  and  he  was  alto- 
gether charming  and  delightful,  and  the 
Fish  adored  him  and  was  glad  it  had  been 
caught. 

"Then  after  some  time  of  this  admira- 
tion and  dalliance,  the  Fisherman  put  it 

44 


Tfte  ^Damsel  and  the  Sage 

in  the  basket  among  the  cool  rushes.  The 
Fish  lay  quiet,  still  content.  It  had  not 
yet  begun  to  pant.  For  an  hour  almost 
the  Fisherman  gloried  in  his  catch.  He 
opened  the  lid  frequently  and  smiled  at 
the  Fish. 

"Then  he  lay  down  on  the  bank  beside 
the  basket  and  let  his  rod  float  idly  in 
the  stream.  The  sun  was  warm  and 
pleasant* 

"'I  wish/  he  said  to  himself,  *  after  all,  I 
had  not  secured  the  Fish  yet;  the  throw- 
ing of  the  fly  and  the  excitement  of  try- 
ing to  catch  the  creature  are  better  fun 
than  having  it  safely  landed  and  lying  in 
the  basket/  and  he  yawned,  and  his  eyes 
gradually  closed  and  he  slept. 

"Now  the  Fish  heard  very  plainly  what 
he  had  said.     Tell  me,  Damsel — you  who 

45 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

ask  questions  and  answer  them  finally 
yourself — tell  me,  What  did  the  Fish  do?" 

The  Damsel  mused  a  moment.  She 
stirred  with  her  white  fingers  the  water 
in  the  basin  of  the  fountain  that  sprang 
from  the  rock  close  by.  Then  she  looked 
at  the  Sage  from  under  the  shadow  of 
her  brows  and  answered,  thoughtfully: 

"The  Fish  was  stunned  at  first  by  this 
truth  being  uttered  so  near  it.  It  sud- 
denly realized  what  it  had  done  and  what 
it  had  lost.  'I,  who  swam  about  freely 
and  showed  my  glittering  scales  in  the 
sun,  am  now  caught  and  in  a  basket,  with 
no  prospect  but  suffocation  and  death  in 
front  of  me/  it  said  to  itself.  'I  could 
have  even  supported  that,  and  the  knowl- 
edge that  my  scales  will  become  dull  and 
unattractive    in    the    near    future,    if    the 

46 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

Fisherman  had  only  continued  to  lift  the 
lid  and  admire  me  a  little  longer/  And 
it  sighed  and  began  to  feel  the  sense  of 
suffocation*  But  it  was  a  Fish  of  great 
determination  and  resources,  'I  have 
learned  my  lesson/  it  gasped;  'the  Fisher- 
man has  taught  it  to  me  himself*  Now 
I  will  make  a  great  jump  and  try  to  get 
out  of  the  basket/ 

"So  it  jumped  and  opened  the  lid.  The 
Fisherman  stirred  in  his  sleep  and  put 
out  his  hand  vaguely  to  close  it  again, 
but  he  was  too  sleepy  to  fasten  the  catch, 
and  with  less  noise  the  Fish  bounced  up 
again  and  succeeded  in  floundering  upon 
the  grass.  It  lay  panting  and  in  great 
distress,  but  it  looked  at  the  beautiful 
Angler  with  regret.  He  was  so  beautiful 
and   so   desirable.     'I   could   almost   stay 

47 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

now,'  the  Fish  sighed.  Then  ft  braced 
itself  up  and  gave  one  more  bound,  and 
this  time  reached  the  rock  at  the  edge 
of  the  stream* 

"Again  the  Fisherman  awoke,  and  now 
casually,  with  his  eyes  still  closed,  fast- 
ened up  the  basket  before  he  slept  again; 
but  the  Fish  with  its  third  bound  reached 
the  river,  and  darted  out  into  the  middle 
of  the  stream, 

"'Good-bye,  Beautiful  Angler V  it  said, 
sadly,  *You  were  sweet,  but  you  have 
taught  me  a  lesson,  and  freedom  is  sweeter/ 

"The  splash  of  its  reaching  the  water 
fully  awakened  the  Fisherman,  but  he 
saw  the  basket  with  the  lid  shut,  and 
had  no  anxieties  until  his  eye  caught  the 
pink  of  the  water  where  the  Fish  shel- 
tered under   the   rock.     Its  gill  was   still 

48 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

bleeding  from  the  hook  wound,  and  col- 
ored a  circle  round  it.  Then  he  opened 
the  lid  and  found  the  basket  empty. 

'"Good-bye/  said  the  Fish.  'Your  wish 
has  been  granted,  and  your  pleasure  can 
begin  all  over  again!' 

"But  the  Fisherman  suddenly  realized 
that  his  rod,  while  he  slept,  had  fallen  into 
the  river,  and  was  floating  away  down  the 
stream. 

444 Good-bye  again/  said  the  Fish;  4I 
have  suffered,  but  I  have  now  experi- 
ence, and  I  am  grateful  to  you,  and  my 
gill  will  heal  up,  and  I  will  smile  at  you 
sometimes  from  just  under  the  surface  of 
the  water,  and  so  all  is  well!*  And  it 
flashed  its  glittering  scales  in  the  sun  before 
it  darted  away  out  of  sight  in  the  strong 
current/' 

49 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

And  the  Damsel  folded  her  hands  and 
looked  into  distance* 

"  Thank  you,  Damsel,"  said  the  Sage, 
gently  for  himj  "bat  the  Fisherman  could 
procure  another  rod — rods  are  not  rarities. 
What  then?" 

"That  would  be  for  another  day,"  said 
the  Damsel;  "and  —  for  another  Fish!" 
And  she  tripped  away  down  the  hill,  and 
was  deaf  to  the  Sage,  who  gruffly  called 
after  her* 


When  you  have  caught  your  Fish,  it  may 
be  wiser  to  cook  it  and  eat  it. 


g|HE  sun  was  setting  when 
the  Damsel  next  came  to 
the  Cave.  She  had  a  pet 
falcon  with  her,  and  kept 
caressing  it  as  she  propounded  her  ques- 
tion. 

44  There  lived  a  woman  in  a  Castle  who 
had  three  Knights  devoted  to  her.  She 
loved  one,  and  her  vanity  was  pleased 
with  the  other  two.  While  she  continued 
to  play  with  them  all,  they  all  loved  her 
to  distraction;  but  presently  her  preference 
for  the  one  Knight  became  evident,  and 
the  two  others,  after  doing  their  utmost 
to  supplant  the  third  without  success,  at 
last  left  the  Castle  and  rode  away.     They 

53 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

were  no  sooner  gone,  and  things  had  be- 
come quiet,  and  no  combats  occurred  to 
interrupt  the  lovers'  intercourse,  when  the 
chosen  Knight  began  to  weary,  and  he,  too, 
at  last  rode  away,  although  before  he  had 
been  the  most  ardent  of  all.  Why  was  this, 
Sage?  and  what  should  the  woman  do?" 

"It  was  because  the  Knight  had  won 
the  prize  and  the  woman  gave  him  no 
trouble  to  keep  it,"  replied  the  Sage..  "He 
was  bound  to  weary.  When  a  man's  pro- 
fession is  fighting  and  he  has  fought  hard 
and  succeeded,  after  sufficient  rest  he 
wishes  to  fight  again.  So  if  the  woman 
wants  her  lover  back,  she  had  better  first 
summon  the  other  two." 

For  once  the  Damsel  had  nothing  to 
say,  and  had  no  excuse  to  remain  longer 
in  the  cave. 

54 


T/ie  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

The  Sage,  however,  was  not  in  the  mind 
to  let  her  go  so  soon,  so  he  began  a  question: 

"Why  do  you  caress  that  bird  so  much? 
It  appears  completely  indifferent  to  you. 
Surely  that  is  waste  of  time?" 

"It  is  agreeable  to  waste  time,"  replied 
the  Damsel. 

"Upon  an  insensible  object?" 

"Yes." 
More    so    than    if    it    returned    your 

♦ 

Probably — there  is  the  speculation.  It 
might  one  day  respond,  while  certainly  if 
it  repaid  warmly  my  love  now,  one  day 
it  would  not.  Nothing  lasts  in  this  world. 
You  have  told  me  so  yourself." 
The  Sage  was  nettled. 
"Yes,  there  is  one  thing  that  lasts,  that 
is  friendship,"  he  said. 

55 


4f 


caresses: 
u 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

** Friendship l"  exclaimed  the  Damsel; 
"but  that  is  not  made  tip  of  caresses* 
It  does  not  make  the  heart  beat/' 

"We  were  not  talking  of  beating  hearts," 
said  the  Sage,  sententiously. 

"Very  well.  Good-bye,  then,  Sage." 
laughed  the  Damsel.  "You  must  think  of 
more  stories  for  me  before  I  come  again." 

And,  continuing  to  caress  the  falcon,  she 
walked  away,  stately  and  fair,  into  the 
setting  sun. 

When  she  had  gone  the  Sage  wondered 
why  there  was  no  twilight  that  evening, 
and  why  it  had  suddenly  become  night. 


Most  men  prefer  to  possess  something  that 
the  other  men  want. 


>T  would  be  a  peaceful  world 
if  we  could  only  realize  that 
the  fever  of  love  is  like  other 
fevers.  It  comes  to  a  crisis, 
and  the  patient  either  dies  or  is  cured*  It 
cannot  last  at  the  same  point  forever. 


59 


jHE  Damsel  came  back  again 
next  day.  She  had  remark- 
ed, the  day  she  spent  with 
him  in  the  rain,  that  the 
Sage  was  not  so  old  or  so  uncomely  as  she 
had  at  first  supposed.  "If  he  were  to 
shave  off  his  beard  and  wear  a  velvet 
doublet,  he  would  look  as  well  as  many 
a  cavalier  of  the  Court/'  she  mused.  And 
she  called  out  before  she  reached  the  door: 
"Sage,  I  have  come  back  because  I 
want  to  ask  you  just  another  question. 
Will  you  not  come  out  and  sit  in  the  sun 
while  you  answer?" 

So  the  Sage  advanced  in  a  recalcitrant 
61 


'The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

manner,  but  he  would  not  sit  down  be- 
side her* 

Then  the  Damsel  began: 

"A  woman  once  possessed  a  ball  of  silk* 
It  was  of  so  fine  and  rare  a  kind  that, 
although  of  many  thousand  yards,  it  took 
up  no  space,  and  she  unwound  it  daily 
for  her  pleasure  without  any  appreciable 
difference  in  the  size  of  the  ball.  At  last 
she  suddenly  fancied  she  perceived  some 
alteration.  It  came  upon  her  as  a  shock, 
but  still  she  continued  to  use  the  silk  with 
the  casual  idea  that  a  thing  she  had  em- 
ployed so  long  must  go  on  forever.  Then 
again,  in  about  a  week,  there  came  another 
shock.  The  ball  was  certainly  smaller,  and 
felt  cold  and  hard  and  firm.  The  thought 
came  to  her,  'What  if  it  should  not  be  silk 
all  through  and  I  have  come  to  the  end  of 

62 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

matters?  What  shall  I  do?'  Now  tell  me, 
Sage,  should  the  woman  go  on  to  the  end 
and  find  perhaps  a  stone?  Or  should  she 
try  to  rewind  the  silk?  Which  is  the  best 
course?" 

The  Damsel  took  up  the  Sage's  staff, 
which  he  had  dropped  for  the  moment, 
and  with  its  point  she  drew  geometrical 
figures  in  the  sand.  But  the  sun  made 
shadows  with  her  eyelashes,  and  the  Sage 
felt  his  voice  tremble,  so  he  answered, 
tartly: 

"That  would  depend  upon  the  nature 
of  the  woman.  If  she  continues  to  un- 
wind the  silk  she  will  certainly  find  a 
piece  of  adamant,  which  has  been  cun- 
ningly covered  with  this  rare,  soft  sub- 
stance. If  she  tries  to  rewind,  she  will 
discover  the   thread  has  become   tangled, 

63 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

and  the  ball  can  never  again  look  smooth 
and  even  as  before.  She  mast  choose 
which  she  would  prefer,  a  clean  piece  of 
adamant  or  an  uneven  ball  of  silk/' 

"But  that  is  no  answer  to  my  ques- 
tion/' said  the  Damsel,  pouting.  **  I  asked 
which  must  she  do  for  the  best/' 

" Neither  is  better  nor  worse!"  replied 
the  Sage  with  asperity.  "And  there  is  no 
best/' 

"You  are  quite  wrong,  Sage/'  returned 
the  Damsel.  "There  is  a  third  course. 
She  can  cut  the  thread  and  leave  the  ball 
as  it  is,  a  coating  of  smooth  silk  still — and 
an  undiscovered  possibility  inside/' 

"You  are  too  much  for  me!"  exclaimed 
the  Sage  in  a  fury.  "Answer  your  own 
questions,  to  begin  with,  in  future!  I  will 
have  no  more  of  you!"  and  he  went  into 

64 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

his  cave  and  ostentatiously  fastened  the 
door. 

The  Damsel  smiled  to  herself  and  con- 
tinued to  draw  geometrical  figures  with  the 
point  of  the  Sage's  staff  in  the  sand* 


There  are  always  three  courses  in  life: 
the  good,  the  bad,  and  the — indifferent*  The 
good  gives  you  calm,  and  makes  you  sleep; 
the  bad  gives  you  emotions,  and  makes  you 
weep;  and  the  indifferent  gives  you  no  sat- 
isfaction, and  makes  you  yawn,  so — choose 
ewisely* 


JNE  can  swear  to  be  faithful 
eternally,  but  how  can  one 
swear  to  love  eternally? 
The  one  is  a  question  of 
will,  the  other  a  sentiment  beyond  all 
human  control.  One  might  as  sensibly 
swear  to  keep  the  wind  in  the  south,  or 
the  sun  from  setting! 


And  yet  we  swear  both  vows — and  break 
both  vows* 


A  woman  is   always  hardest   upon  her 
own  sins,  committed  by  others. 

A  man  is  sometimes  lenient  to  them. 
69 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

A  fool  can  win  the  love  of  a  man,  but 
it  requires  a  woman  of  resources  to  keep 
it. 


^^HE  Damsel  did  not  go  away 
from  the  cave,  as  was  her 
custom.  She  continued  to 
draw  geometrical  figures  in 
the  sand.  Presently  she  called  to  the 
Sage  once  more. 

"Come   out   again,   dear   Sage!    Listen, 
I  have  something  more  to  say/' 

He  unfastened   the   window   and  stood 
leaning  on  the  sill. 

"Well?"  he  said,  sternly.     "Well?" 

"A  Ring  Dove  once  was  owned  by  a 

man.     It  was  the  sweetest  and  most  gentle 

of  birds,  besides  being  extremely  beautiful. 

It  adored  the  man  and  lived  contentedly 

71 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

in  its  cage*  The  perches,  which  the  man 
had  had  prepared  especially  for  it,  were 
endeared  to  it  from  association  with  the 
happy  hours  when  it  had  been  caressed 
by  the  man.  Altogether  to  it  the  cage 
appeared  a  palace,  and  it  lived  content* 

"The  man  was  a  brutal  creature,  more 
or  less,  and  at  last  he  cruelly  ill-treated 
the  Ring  Dove,  and  exalted  a  Cuckoo  in 
its  place.  This  conduct  greatly  saddened 
the  sweet  Dove,  but  it  over  and  over 
again  forgave  its  tormentor,  so  great  was 
its  love,  and  even  saw  the  Cuckoo  ad- 
vanced to  the  highest  honors  without  anger, 
only  a  bleeding  heart.  How  long  things 
would  have  continued  in  this  way  no  one 
knows;  but  the  man  suddenly  gave  the 
Cuckoo  the  Ring  Dove's  cage,  and  let  the 
Cuckoo   sleep   on   the   perches   which   the 

72 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

Dove  was  accustomed  to  consider  its  very 
own.  This  overcame  the  gentle  Dove.  Its 
broken  heart  mended,  and  it  flew  away. 
Tell  me,  Sage,  why  did  this  action  cure  the 
Dove  of  its  great  love  for  the  man,  when  it 
had  borne  all  the  blows  and  cruelty  without 
resentment  ?" 

"That  is  an  easy  question  to  answer," 
replied  the  Sage.  "The  Dove  was  really 
growing  tired  and  seized  this  as  a  good 
opportunity  to  be  off." 

"Oh,  how  little  you  know  of  the  female 
sex,  even  of  Doves!"  laughed  the  Damsel. 
"I  can  give  you  the  true  reason  myself. 
It  was  the  bad  taste  of  the  man  in  giving 
the  Cuckoo  the  cage  and  perches  of  the 
Ring  Dove,  which  he  had  consecrated  to 
her.  That  cured  her,  and  enabled  her  to 
fly  away." 

73 


T7ze  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

And  the  Damsel  curtsied  to  the  Sage 
and  sauntered  off,  laughing  and  looking 
back  over  her  shoulder. 


An  action  committed  in  bad  taste  is  more 
curing  and  disillusionizing  to  Love  than  the 
crudest  blows  of  rage  and  hate* 


MAN  would  often  be  the  lover 
of  his  wife — if  he  were  mar- 
ried to  some  one  else* 


There  come  moments  in  life  when  we 
regret  the  old  gods. 


Time  and  place — temperature  and  tem- 
perament— and  after  the  sunset  the  night 
— and  then  to-morrow. 


77 


(IX    the   winter    passed    and 

the  Damsel  remained  at  the 

Court   and  the  Sage   in   his 

'cave.     Both  found  the  days 

long  and  their  occupation  insufficient. 

At  last,  when  spring  came,  the  Damsel 
again  mounted  the  hill  one  morning  be- 
fore dawn  and  tapped  at  the  Sage's  door. 
His  heart  gave  a  bound,  and  he  flew 
to  open  it  without  more  ado. 

"So  you  have  come  back?"  he  said;  and 
his  voice  was  eager,  though  it  was  a  gray 
light  and  he   could  not  see  her  plainly* 

"Yes,"  said  she?  "I  want  you  to  tell 
me  one  more  story  of  life  before  I  go  on 
a  long  voyage." 

79 


The  Damsel  and  the  Sage 

So  the  Sage  began: 

"There  was  once  upon  a  time  a  man 
of  half -measures,  whose  brain  was  filled 
with  dreams  for  his  own  glory,  and  he 
possessed  a  woman  of  flesh  and  blood, 
who  loved  him,  and  would  have  turned 
the  dreams  into  realities.  But  because  he 
was  happy  with  her,  and  because  her 
hair  was  black  and  her  eyes  were  green, 
and  her  flesh  like  alabaster,  he  said  to 
himself,  'This  is  a  fiend  and  a  vampire* 
Nothing  human  can  be  so  delectable/  So 
he  ran  a  stake  through  her  body,  and 
buried  her  at  the  cross-roads.  Then  he 
found  life  an  emptiness,  and  went  down 
into  nothingness  and  was  forgotten — " 

"Oh,  hush,  Sage!"  said  the  Damsel, 
trembling;  "I  wish  to  hear  no  more.  Come, 
shave  off  your  beard,  and  put  on  a  velvet 

80 


TAe  damsel  and  the  Sage 

doublet,  and  return  with  me  to  the  Court. 
See,  life  is  short,  and  I  am  fair/' 

And  the  Sage  suddenly  felt  he  had  found 
the  philosopher's  stone,  and  knew  the  secret 
he  had  come  into  the  wilds  to  find. 

So  he  went  back  to  his  cave,  and  shaved 
his  beard,  and  donned  a  velvet  doublet, 
long  since  lain  by  in  lavender.  And  he 
took  the  Damsel  by  the  hand,  and  they 
gladly  ran  down  the  hill. 

And  the  zephyrs  whispered,  and  the  day 
dawned,  and  all  the  world  smiled  young — 
and  gay. 


Remember  the  tangible  now. 


Sic  transit  gloria  mundil** 


By  MRS.  HUMPHRY    WARD 


LADY  ROSE'S  DAUGHTER.  Illustrat- 
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